The Common Vintage Thrift Store Item With Endless Upcycling Possibilities

You've probably seen a vintage glass insulator or two when walking through antique shops. If you don't know what their original purpose was, it's in their name — they were once used to insulate electrical wires, usually up on power poles. Nowadays, you'll find these lying around people's homes, lining shelves at antique and thrift shops, or still buried in the ground where they've been since they stopped being of use. If you come across one or more for a low price, they're worth it for all of the neat upcycling projects you can do with them, from using them as candle holders or planters to turning them into true works of art.

Some of these upcycling projects are straightforward and require only glue, paint, or wire, while others necessitate the use of actual tools. To benefit even the most novice of upcyclers, we've included craft projects for all levels in this list of vintage glass insulator upcycling projects.

If you're looking for an easy way to add some mood lighting to your home, vintage glass insulators can be a handy addition with the simple inclusion of a battery-operated tea light placed inside. This is an easy upcycle that anyone can do — and if you can find a set of tea lights that come with a remote control, you'll be just one click away from creating some soft lighting. The color of your glass insulator will affect the amount and color of light this candle holder emits, adding to its uniqueness.

You can turn your vintage glass insulator into a unique wall sconce. All you need is some wire to wrap around it for a hanger and some decorative touches. Add anything you want, from trinkets to faux flowers. Place your tea light candle (real or battery-operated) inside and turn it on. This is a great way to add a relaxing atmosphere to any room, and depending on what you decorate the holder with, the lighting effects could be extra interesting.

You can paint the glass insulator to resemble a cute fungus and place it in your home or even out in your garden. Painting glass can be done using acrylics, enamels, poster paint, and tempera paint. Each paint type will offer a distinct look, with some being smoother and glossier than others. This mushroom pairs adorably with other DIY mushroom projects around your home or yard.

This festive project requires a tree-shaped metal display, such as the Kathy Wire Tree, to which you can attach your glass insulators. Using green insulators is ideal, so it looks like the greenery of an evergreen tree. You could mix in some clear ones to look like there is snow on the tree, as well. You may need to drill holes in the insulators to attach them to your tree rack, or you could use wire wrap to secure them in place. This project makes a great alternative to a traditional Christmas tree if you have a small home or apartment.

If you love succulents or air plants and you have some macrame skills (or want to learn some), you can easily turn your vintage glass insulators into hanging planters. Macrame is a creative way of tying knots into cords to form creative wall hangings — including ones that you can put things in, like these pots. We love the vintage '70s vibe it gives off. For some of us, macrame decor never goes out of style.

Remember when you put those tea lights in the insulators earlier? If you have a few of those, you can create a rustic table centerpiece with some evergreen branches, faux winter berries, pine cones, and a slab of wood. Depending on the season or holiday, you can adjust the colors of glass insulators and decor accordingly. We love the rustic look of this piece; regardless of the embellishments added, it exudes a warm and cozy vibe. Consider these additional centerpiece ideas for inspiration.

No matter the color of your vintage glass insulator, it can make an excellent base for a unique windchime that will not only catch the wind for beautiful sounds, but also catch the sunlight for a stunning visual effect. You can use moldable metal to create a base around the lip, which you can connect chains and charms to, or use rope that's tied and glued in place. You can even use some of the items in your junk drawer to create this fun piece.

If you want to add some nice shine to your stairways, indoors or out, we suggest using your vintage glass insulators as caps on your staircase's newel posts. Depending on the color of the glass, these can really make a stairwell stand out. For this project, bevel out a circular area at the top of the posts so the insulators fit snugly. Then, glue them down with industrial glue — you don't want them to come loose if someone grabs them.

This is so cute and easy, and you set up almost any scene you want. You need a transparent glass insulator and some black paint for the ghost's eyes. You could also make a white ghost by painting the whole insulator. You can use any planter to create the display — a trough-style planter would work great for a graveyard display with your glass ghost. You'll want some moss to make the grass, and something to fill the bottom of the planter with so your display is visible (like some floral foam).

You'll need some thick craft wire and some tools for bending the wire to make this creative project. You can create circles with the wire to place the glass insulators in, allowing them to be removed and cleaned if you use real tea light candles. For ease of use, however, we suggest a set of faux tealights that come with a remote control so you don't have to climb on a ladder to light your candelabra.

With a cute pull knob, some glue, and a glass insulator, you'll have all you need to turn this vintage item into a unique stocking hanger to use during the Christmas season. The most important aspect of this DIY craft is to ensure that the glass insulators won't fall when the stickings are stuffed with candy and gifts. You can make them a permanent fixture on your mantel by gluing them down, then use them for hanging seasonal decor of all kinds.

The shape of some of these glass insulators is perfect for creating snowmen for your winter displays, whether you use them as a centerpiece or put them in your Christmas village. You'll need some paints, something with which to make the carrot nose, and any other embellishments you'd like to add, such as snowflake stickers or a bow tie. You can paint a scarf on your snowman, or use a piece of fabric. And, since Frosty had a black hat, be sure to paint the top black!

If you have an eye for art, you may want to create your own glass statue using one or more vintage insulators and other thrifted glassware. To secure your pieces, you can use silicone, epoxy, or any strong glue that will keep your creation together. If you plan to display your sculpture outside, be sure to use a glue that can withstand hot, cold, and wet weather conditions. Depending on the designs and colors of the glass, when the sun hits your sculpture, you'll see some amazing reflections.

If you're handy with an etching tool, you can create works of art on your vintage glass insulators. Glass etching kits, like the Etching Starter Kit by the LARICEO Store, allow you to add your own artistic touches to any glassware in your home. You can create abstract designs, add designs that fit specific aesthetics in different rooms of your home, or even etch them as holiday decor. For example, the fish featured above would look great in a bathroom due to its watery vibe.

Make a display that shows what these vintage glass pieces may have looked like when they were still in use. To create your telegraph pole display, you'll need a chunk of wood for the base and a drill to make holes for the metal rods to which you'll attach the glass insulators. You will also need some sturdy glue to keep everything together, as well as some wire to wrap around the tops as a connector. This piece would look just as beautiful as a table display as it would in your garden.